Display shelf devices with article-dispensing channels have been used in the merchandising of a number of products. The channels, typically, are supported on a shelf in a tilted condition and receive articles in rows so that the received articles slide or gravity feed one after another to the fronts of the channels as the leading articles in each row are removed from the respective channel. Shelf devices with conventional dispensing channels are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,239,099; 4,314,648; and 4,496,037 which are owned by the assignee of the present invention.
While such conventional channels have experienced considerable success, they are not without disadvantages. Because the majority of commercial bottles and cans have cylindrical bodies, it is difficult to arrange bottles or cans on the channels at a predetermined orientation. More particularly, cylindrical articles tend to be placed on the channels at a random orientation and even to slowly rotate about their upright axes during their sliding movement along the channels. This results in the labels or the logos on the articles facing in different directions, which detracts from the appearance of the displayed articles.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved display channel which enhances the appearance of the articles displayed thereon.
In meeting the foregoing needs, the present invention provides an elongate display channel for receiving a row of articles for sliding movement therealong. The channel comprises a base wall having opposite side edges and at least one sidewall upstanding from one of the side edges of the base wall. The base wall comprises means for defining a plane on which the bottoms of articles are to be placed, and one or more railings disposed along the plane and extending along the channel. A single railing protrudes above the plane into spaces on the bottoms of the articles to prevent rotation of the articles in the channel. A pair of railings define therebetween a groove for receiving the respective portions of the bottoms of articles. The pair of railings have their tops disposed above the plane and can protrudes into spaces on the bottoms of the articles to prevent rotation of the articles in the channel. Articles having petaloid feet can have a single foot or pairs of feet riding in the groove so that the articles do not rotate.
In the channel of the invention, the groove can receive the portions of articles. This assists in the loading of articles with their labels or logos facing in a predetermined direction. The railings engage the portions of the loaded articles during movement of the articles along the channel. This prevents rotational movement of the articles about their upright axes, which keeps the articles arranged at a certain orientation while they are displayed on the channel.
A preferred embodiment of the plane-defining means comprises a plurality of upwardly projecting parallel ribs formed on the base wall along the channel. The ribs may be formed such that the tops of the ribs lie in the plane.
The present invention also provides another form of display channel. This channel is designed to receive a row of upright articles each having petaloid feet. The channel comprises a pair of spaced upstanding sidewalls, a base wall interconnecting the sidewalls at their respective lower edges, and anti-rotation means for engagement with at least one of the petaloid feet of each article in the channel so as to maintain the articles in a predetermined orientation during sliding movement of the articles along the channel.
The present invention further provides a display shelf device including a shelf unit having front and rear opposed edges. The shelf unit comprises means for defining a plurality of parallel tracks each extending between the front and rear edges of the unit to receive a row of articles for movement along each track. The track-defining means comprises a floor panel and a plurality of spaced parallel partition walls upstanding from the floor panel and extending between the front and rear edges. Each track is defined by the floor panel and a pair of adjacent partition walls. The floor panel comprises, for each track, means for defining a plane on which the bottoms of articles are to be disposed, and a pair of railings disposed along the plane and extending along each track. The floor panel further comprises a pair of railings defining therebetween a groove for receiving a portion of the bottom of each article. The railings have tops disposed above the plane.
In a preferred embodiment, the device further comprises support means for supporting the shelf unit so that the shelf unit is inclined downwardly toward its front edge. This allows the articles in each track to gravity feed one after another toward the front edge of the shelf unit as leading articles in each track are removed from each track.